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A Hymn's Long Journey Home
The Opinion Journal (Wall Street Journal) ^
| 11-22-05
| Melanie Kirkpatrick
Posted on 11/23/2005 1:42:04 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
The surprising origins of "We Gather Together," a Thanksgiving standard.
Its mention of God makes it verboten in schools today. But not too many years ago this was the season when teachers would lead their students in the great ecumenical Thanksgiving hymn, "We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing." It's a singable melody, and the stirring lyrics speak directly of the Pilgrims' experience in overcoming religious persecution.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: calvinists; catholics; christianmusic; dutch; earlyamerica; hymns; music; protestants; psalms; publicschool; religion; thanksgiving
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Origins of a favorite hymn sung on Thanksgiving.
To: sitetest
Please ping the music list.
To: ninenot; Coleus; narses
You may be interested in this.
To: afraidfortherepublic
To: afraidfortherepublic
I actually didn't know that there was a "Thanksgiving" song. Does it predate the 1970's?
5
posted on
11/23/2005 1:55:10 PM PST
by
Kjobs
(Murtha IS A COWARD!! Go Jean Schmidt!)
To: afraidfortherepublic
It's not Thanksgiving. It's "Turkey Day".
6
posted on
11/23/2005 2:03:45 PM PST
by
manwiththehands
(Happy Thanksgiving to our heroes in Iraq. God bless you and Godspeed. Come home safe.)
To: Kjobs
Did you read the article?
To: afraidfortherepublic
The simple, beautiful melody of "We Gather Together" always makes me weep.
Living under our precious U.S. Constitution, we indeed have much to be thankful for.
Be thankful tomorrow, and express gratitude to God for his bounteous blessings on America. Pray that we will repent of our sins and elicit God's blessings into the future.
8
posted on
11/23/2005 2:07:30 PM PST
by
andonte
To: andonte
To: manwiththehands
>>>It's not Thanksgiving. It's "Turkey Day".
I thought we were supposed to be wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. 8^)
10
posted on
11/23/2005 2:17:44 PM PST
by
NC28203
To: afraidfortherepublic
The thing that makes me most afraid for the future of the republic is abortion. In 2000, Gary Bauer said that until we get right on that, we will not be right on much else.
Abortion is reprehensible; it's murder pure and simple, an affront to God. How on earth can so many otherwise intelligent people support the practice?
Remember the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving.
11
posted on
11/23/2005 2:20:40 PM PST
by
andonte
To: afraidfortherepublic
Source: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/e/wegattog.htm (turn on your speakers to hear music)
We Gather Together
We gather together to ask the Lords blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!
We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
O Lord make and keep us free!! Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to all Freepers and all the members of the Armed Forces.
12
posted on
11/23/2005 2:33:32 PM PST
by
Captain Rhino
(If you will just abandon logic, these things will make a lot more sense!)
To: All
13
posted on
11/23/2005 2:38:52 PM PST
by
Cindy
To: afraidfortherepublic
You can't lose with the classics.
14
posted on
11/23/2005 2:42:28 PM PST
by
IronJack
To: afraidfortherepublic
I'd bet the majority of people have never heard it.
Here's a site that lets you hear it in piano form, organ form or bells.
http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh131.sht
The "contemporary" songs don't cut it in my book - neither the words or the music - it's too repetitive and simplistically worded. Oh well ... . As people are dumbed down more and more ... they will gravitate more and more to the simplistic.
15
posted on
11/23/2005 3:03:21 PM PST
by
nmh
(Intelligent people believe in Intelligent Design (God).)
To: Cindy
Ooops!
Didn't see all your great websites.
16
posted on
11/23/2005 3:04:16 PM PST
by
nmh
(Intelligent people believe in Intelligent Design (God).)
To: nmh
I'd bet the majority of people have never heard it.
Count me in that number.
17
posted on
11/23/2005 3:08:55 PM PST
by
July 4th
(A vacant lot cancelled out my vote for Bush.)
To: afraidfortherepublic
Well, that takes care of THAT.
No Orange Calvinist hymn will be on my playlist--although you have to know about the Orange Dutch Reformed to know how much they (still) absolutely detest Catholics....
18
posted on
11/23/2005 3:39:07 PM PST
by
ninenot
(Minister of Membership, Tomas Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
To: afraidfortherepublic
Thanks for posting this. I tried to read it yesterday at WSJ.com but the link wasn't working.
To: ninenot
you have to know about the Orange Dutch Reformed to know how much they (still) absolutely detest Catholics....He he! My Northern Irish grandparents were Orange Dutch Reformed - mixed with Germans when they got to Philadelphia, I guess. I grew up making Orange decor on St. Patrick's Day!
20
posted on
11/23/2005 3:54:30 PM PST
by
Tax-chick
(Advent starts November 27 ... have you dusted yet?)
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